Description

A patient on long-term oral morphine therapy can be converted to transdermal fentanyl therapy.


 

Patient selection: opioid tolerant. Transdermal fentanyl must not be used for an opioid-naïve patient.

 

For the patch strength used in the USA and UK:

 

Daily Dose of Oral Morphine in mg

Fentanyl Patch Delivery in µg per hour

< 45

NA

45 to 134

25

135 to 224

50

225 to 314

75

315 to 404

100

405 to 494

125

495 to 584

150

585 to 674

175

675 to 764

200

765 to 854

225

855 to 944

250

945 to 1025

275

1035 to 1124

300

> 1124

NA

 

For the patch used in Germany the conversion is (Muijsers et al):

 

Daily Dose of Oral Morphine in mg

Fentanyl Patch Delivery in µg per hour

0 to 90

25

91 to 150

50

151 to 210

75

211 to 270

100

for every additional 60 mg

another 25 µg/h

 

fentanyl patch strength in mg=

= (fentanyl delivery in µg per hour) / 10

 


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